Kid Packs Trash Bag and Invites Himself to Neighbor’s Sleepover in Viral TikTok

A little boy with a big plan marched down his driveway carrying a trash bag packed with a pillow, blanket and anything else he thought he might need for a night away from home.

Walter’s destination wasn’t far — just across the yard and through a small line of trees — but the confidence in his tiny steps, captured in a viral TikTok, struck a chord with millions of viewers.

“He told me, ‘Lisa said we can come for a sleepover.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, buddy. Let me know if you need help packing.’ And then he’s gone,” Walter’s mother, Heather, tells PEOPLE. “Lisa sends me this video, and you can see he had his pillow and everything stuffed in the trash bag.”

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The video shows Walter heading toward his best friend’s house. While the families had always lived on the same street, a recent move placed Miles and his family directly behind Heather’s home — close enough for the kids to run back and forth without hesitation.

“He ran up there when they were unpacking, asked if he could sleep over, came back, packed himself and went back in about 20 minutes,” Heather recalls. “[Lisa] wasn’t even unpacked yet, and he was already ready for a sleepover.”

The quick planning reflected the closeness of their friendship. Walter has known Lisa’s son since birth, and Heather says the boys have always been inseparable. “Lisa is like a second mom to him. He’s even suggested, since they have more bedrooms, that maybe he should just live there and visit me,” Heather laughs.

Since the move, that bond has only grown stronger. “They actually ended up buying a bunk bed because my kids are over so often,” Heather says.

The arrangement allows the children to move freely between homes — a setup Heather describes as nostalgic. “It feels like we’re living that dream where your kids grow up next door to their best friend,” she explains. “We’ve already had to call each other multiple times to figure out where the kids are. It’s like living in 1995 again.”

Heather and Lisa’s friendship has flourished alongside their sons’. “Lisa is one of my best friends,” Heather says. “We didn’t know each other until adulthood, but we grew up not far apart and we parent the same way. It just works.”

The two households now share dinners and responsibilities with ease. “Last night I told her I was ordering burgers and asked if she wanted to come down. She had just put a steak in, but she said, ‘Next time.’ That’s how it is now — easy and spontaneous,” Heather adds.

Even the school bus drivers have grown accustomed to the arrangement. “The school doesn’t even question us anymore when the kids get off at either house,” Heather says.

For the boys, the fun never stops. Lisa bought them walkie talkies so they can radio one another, and Heather’s husband built a fort in the trees that border the two properties. “That fort has become their meeting spot,” Heather says.

The viral TikTok that captured Walter’s determination was originally posted just for laughs. “I snort-laughed when I saw it and thought people might enjoy it,” Heather tells PEOPLE. “It really seemed to bring joy.”

The internet agreed. The video has since earned more than 3 million views, with nearly all of the comments reflecting positivity. “People said, ‘I want this for my kids. I used to have this. He’s so cute, so ready to go,’ ” Heather shares. “That’s rare for TikTok — 99.9% of people have been kind.”

Heather admits she usually deletes half of her TikToks due to negativity, but this one was different. “He just looks so determined in it. I couldn’t take it down.”

For her, the best part isn’t the viral fame, but the sense of family that’s grown between the two homes. “We live next to the nicest people I’ve ever met. Lisa is such an incredible mom, and I’m so glad she helps me raise my kids.”

From bunk beds to forts in the woods to walkie talkies buzzing with chatter, Heather says watching Walter grow up with his best friend right next door feels like a gift. “It’s the kind of friendship every parent hopes their child gets to experience.”